Youth entrepreneurship in South Africa needs to accelerate because 47,3% of people aged 15 to 34 are unemployed. Turning this statistic into a headcount, it amounts to nearly five million South Africans. Many young people turn to entrepreneurship to earn an income.
Businesses started by young people offer both a means to financial independence and the opportunity to create sustainable businesses that create jobs. And this was one of the topics addressed at the most recent One Young World Summit, which took place in Cape Town from 3 to 6 November 2026.
The summit celebrates the young leaders shaping our future through innovation, entrepreneurship, and bold action. It drew together young leaders from over 190 countries, connecting delegates to a larger network of over 20 500 changemakers.
Tackling five of the world’s biggest challenges – each directly informed by the Global Consultation Process (GCP) – food security, safety, jobs, peace, and the direction of global leadership, remain at the centre of dialogue.
Emphasising how these issues can be addressed through entrepreneurship, a young entrepreneur, Ayavuya Sibisi, founder of Tropical Paradise Smoothie Bar.
Entrepreneurship Addressing Food Security
“When I started Tropical Paradise Smoothie Bar in 2019, my initial focus was on making healthy smoothies accessible and affordable,” says Sibisi. “However, as I developed the business, I began looking more closely at the agricultural value chain and realised that perfectly edible fruit and vegetables were being overlooked simply because of their appearance, size or surplus availability.”
She saw an opportunity to give produce a second life by transforming it into products that people could enjoy while reducing food waste. Rather than viewing Class 3 produce as waste, she began seeing it as a valuable raw material for food production. “This led to the development of our agro-processing model, where we use Class 3 and surplus fruit and vegetables to produce fresh smoothies, frozen smoothie packs, dried fruit and fruit powders,” she explains. “For me, the opportunity was about addressing two challenges simultaneously: reducing food waste while making nutritious food more accessible and affordable.”
Sibisi’s entrepreneurial journey started at age 16. “I was very entrepreneurial in high school, where I would buy packs of sweets and resell them to my classmates. Later, I ventured into another business, lending money to my peers and charging interest. These experiences helped me develop an early understanding of money, business and identifying opportunities.
“At 18, during my first year at university, I founded Tropical Paradise Smoothie Bar.”
A Business Rooted in Heritage and Culture
Tropical Paradise Smoothie Bar was an idea that came to be because Sibisi noticed how people struggle to access fresh fruits and vegetables.
“I grew up in Venda, Limpopo, a region blessed with an abundance of fruit and vegetables and a culture where people consume a lot of fresh produce. I grew up surrounded by stories of grandmothers who lived to over 100 years. It shaped my understanding of food, nutrition and the importance of incorporating fruits and vegetables into our daily diets,” Sibisi recalls. “When I moved to KwaZulu-Natal after spending most of my life in Limpopo, I noticed a significant contrast. People did not consume as much fruit and vegetables, and access to healthy, delicious, affordable and convenient food options was limited.”
This became even more apparent during her first year at university, where she realised how surprisingly difficult it was to find healthy, delicious and affordable food. “I began to see this not just as an inconvenience but as a much bigger problem, particularly in a country like South Africa, where non-communicable diseases are among the leading causes of death.
“I wanted to develop a product that could help address this gap by making fruit and vegetables more accessible, convenient and enjoyable to consume.”
Reaching the Right Market
Tropical Paradise Smoothie Bar generates revenue through different channels. The first is the mobile smoothie bars, where freshly made smoothies are sold to customers. The second is pre-portioned frozen smoothie packs that are formulated to make it easier for consumers and businesses to prepare healthy smoothies. Additionally, they also generate revenue through corporate wellness catering of healthy food and smoothies while educating employees about the benefits of consuming fruits and vegetables and making healthier dietary choices. Lastly, they also sell dried fruit products.
“Our franchise model is central to our growth strategy. By developing a mobile business model with a relatively low entry cost, we want to create opportunities for more entrepreneurs, particularly young people, to enter the food industry. Through this model, we can expand our market reach while creating opportunities for others to operate their own businesses, while creating more access to healthy food options,” she explains.
Solving Global Developmental Issues Through Entrepreneurship
Global development issues have shaped Tropical Paradise Smoothie Bar because it was built around addressing some of the challenges facing the South African food system, particularly food security, youth unemployment, and women’s economic empowerment and sustainable agriculture. “Food security has been one of the biggest influences on our business. We recognised that while perfectly good fruit and vegetables are often rejected because they do not meet retail appearance standards, many communities still struggle to access healthy and affordable food.” This is why they source Class 3 and surplus produce and transform it into nutritious smoothies, frozen smoothie packs and dried fruit products. “Our aim is to reduce food waste while making healthy food more accessible and affordable.”
She notes that youth unemployment and the future of work have influenced their decision to develop a low-cost mobile smoothie bar franchise model. “Rather than only growing our own outlets, we want to create opportunities for other young people, particularly women, to become entrepreneurs. Through our model, franchisees can enter the food industry with a lower initial investment while receiving training, products and operational support from our business.
“Gender equality and women’s economic empowerment are also central to our vision. As a young woman entrepreneur, I understand the importance of creating opportunities for women to participate in the economy, own businesses and become financially independent. I want Tropical Paradise to become a platform through which more women can build sustainable livelihoods,” Sibisi elaborates.
Furthermore, Africa’s future role in the global economy has shaped their focus on agro-processing and adding value to locally sourced agricultural produce. “Instead of exporting raw agricultural products, we want to demonstrate how African businesses can transform local produce into competitive, value-added products. Our long-term vision is to grow a network of mobile smoothie bar franchises across South Africa and eventually expand into other African markets through regional trade.
Entrepreneurship Changes Lives
What makes entrepreneurship different isn’t just that it is a means of generating an income or creating jobs. It’s deeply fulfilling and allows entrepreneurs to learn what they are capable of.
“Youth entrepreneurship has impacted my life in ways I never imagined. It has accelerated my personal growth, sharpened my thinking and taught me to take on responsibilities that I might otherwise have encountered much later in life,” Sibisi says.
“I studied towards a BA in psychology and linguistics, and one thing I have come to appreciate is how our thinking patterns are shaped by the experiences and decisions we make, particularly during our formative years,” she elaborates. “Entrepreneurship has challenged me to think beyond my age. It has trained me to make difficult decisions, think strategically, solve problems and develop into a leader who can contribute meaningfully to my community. But perhaps what has impacted me most is realising that I did not need years of professional experience to become an entrepreneur. I created that experience for myself. I started young, learned through doing, made mistakes, adapted and kept building. In many ways, building Tropical Paradise has become my greatest learning experience.”
She explains that what makes this journey even more meaningful is seeing the impact beyond herself. “I have seen young people earn an income through our business and use their salaries to help feed their families. That reminds me that entrepreneurship is not just about creating something for yourself; it is also about creating opportunities for other people. I now see entrepreneurship as a way of building generational wealth and financial freedom, not only for myself but for my generation and those who come after us. It has given me the belief that we do not have to wait for opportunities to be created for us. We can create them ourselves,” she concludes.
